Aircraft engines (gas turbines) are tested today in accordance with the global standard of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with a homologation to verify compliance with limit values for the harmful substances NOx, HC, CO and the smoke number. This emission certification is described in the guidelines of Annex 16, Volume 2 of International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO 15. Neither a standardized measuring method nor a standard exists with respect to particulate emissions (ultrafine particles). International efforts are now in progress to introduce a certification regulation for particulate emissions.
The present prototype and the technical implementation thereof create an option to carry out particulate measurements (particle mass, count and size distribution) simultaneously with the exhaust gas measurement using a loss-optimized and standardized system.
The system for measuring particulate emissions of aircraft engines on test benches thus includes both the method for measuring the particulate emissions and the device suitable for carrying out the corresponding method. For the sake of simplicity, hereafter this is referred to as a system, wherein the term ‘system’ shall be understood to mean both the method and the device associated therewith.